Movies Came Out In (1974)
Winner:
The Godfather Part II – Brilliant. Somehow better than the original Godfather, which was a masterpiece. Have seen too many times to count.
Chinatown – I saw this as an adult, and I really didn’t understand what the fuss was about. I did not enjoy this film, at all. The film follows a private investigator who gets in all sort of situations following an adulterer.
The Conversation – Saw this as an adult and was expecting great things, I did not think it was that good. I was disappointed. The basic plot is big brother eavesdropping goes astray.
Lenny – Just watched on Amazon Prime, and was not overly impressed. It’s a biopic of the controversial comic Lenny Bruce, rise to “fame” and issues with the law/drugs. Dustin Hoffman delivers a good performance, but I really just wasn’t into the story of the guy’s life. I did find it interesting that Michael Richards (Kramer on Seinfeld) n-word rant in a comedy club many years back now was basically a complete rip-off of Lenny’s act (reading about it now on the Internet, this is somewhat of a known-thing, but wasn’t to me).
The Towering Inferno – I’m almost positive that I’ve seen bits and pieces of this film on a Saturday/Sunday TV matinee during the 80’s, but I certainly had never seen the whole picture straight through. So, I watched it recently, and it was everything that I about expected. The action/stunt scenes reminded me very much of the Earthquake (now closed) attraction at Universal Studios. Almost like the film makers said, let’s get Newman, Holden, McQueen, Dunaway, Astaire, Chamberlain, Vaughn and Simpson, and the rest will take care of itself. Well, it didn’t. The plot/scenario was okay, but it was all a bit too hokey for me, especially the ending (both in the water dousing the tower and the closing moments). Very 70’s all the way around. Am I glad I watched? Yes, because it was fun to see all those stars in one film after having watched them in so many films of late.
Brian’s Winner:
The Godfather Part II, it’s one of the best films ever.
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#1974
Ceremony Year (1975) – Movies Came Out In (1974)